Selfies: How to prevent lice and still take them

Summer is almost here, which means many students and parents are gearing up for all the activities that come along with it—weekends at the cottage, sleepovers, camps and lots of selfies.

Many parents are probably also wondering how to prevent their child from getting lice.

Whether summer activities include summer camps or play dates, children are more likely to be in contact with other kids who may be experiencing a lice infestation.

Recently, a new culprit has been discovered in aiding the spread of head lice: Selfies.

How selfies spread lice

Expanding technology has led more people to have smartphones, including young children and especially teens. A recent report revealed that an increase of selfies is causing a rapid rise in head lice cases.

Lice don’t jump or fly. Head-to-head contact is the main source of the spread of head lice, which is common when teens attempt to fit multiple people in a selfie.

Taking a selfie is the perfect opportunity for lice to crawl into your hair from their head. Physical contact with an individual who has lice is the only way the infestation spreads.

Most often this occurs by direct head-to-head contact, however, sharing hats or hair accessories or sleeping in close proximity can also cause an infestation.

Prevent head lice from spreading

Typically, younger children experience an increased chance of lice outbreaks because they share clothing and sleep close together more often than older children.

However, with selfies being as popular as they are, teenagers are contracting lice more frequently.

Selfies are fun, and people aren’t going to stop taking them anytime soon. In the meantime, there are steps you can take to prevent head lice from spreading.

Continually sterilize shared brushes and combs by soaking them in boiling water with soap for at least 10 minutes.

Put suspected clothing (anything worn in the last 48 hours), hats, bed linens, etc., in the dryer on high heat for at least 20 minutes.

Use lice prevention products such as shampoos, conditioners, and sprays, as well as keeping longer hair in a ponytail or bun.

Store soft toys such as stuffed animals in airtight plastic bags for at least 48 hours.

When/if lice prevention isn’t enough

While there are ways to avoid the spread of lice, sometimes lice can still find a way to infect children. What is the most effective way to get rid of lice?

Lice Clinics of Canada offers a Health Canada-cleared medical device that dehydrates lice and their eggs. It is the only lice treatment clinic in Ontario to offer this service.

How does the device work?

The AirAllè device uses controlled heated air to kill live lice and 99.2% of their eggs, allowing children to leave the clinic lice-free in just 90 minutes.

The clinic offers two convenient locations in Oakville and Kitchener. If you’re worried about a possible lice infestation, call and book your appointment today. We will screen before discussing a treatment that works best for you.

Our new clinic is located at 323 Kerr St. in Oakville, right beside Stoney’s.

The AirAllé device has successfully treated over 200,000 cases of head lice and continues to offer a solution for parents who have spent days, weeks and even months tirelessly battling an infestation.